social justice movement terminology for interpreters and translators - because more bilingual movements are stronger movements!

Thursday, November 17, 2016

enfoque de género: gender-sensitive approach

[update: the official translation of the peace accords uses the term "gender-sensitive approach"and so I have changed it here from the term gender approach which I first used]

I am absolutely thrilled that the Colombian peace accords have been renegotiated, and that the differential approach in it is stronger than before. I continue to see the false cognate focus widely used in the media (which is one part of the broader enfoque diferencial in the accords, which now clearly include age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and ethnicity).

The term enfoque diferencial is fairly new, but enfoque de género is a term widely used in multilateral treaties and agreements. Gender approach is the standard UN and EU translation. A good tool for finding these is what used to be called the eurodicautom and is now, sadly, called iate.

As for the term differential vs differentiated, I have spent way too much time obsessing over the difference. The Real Academia defines diferencial as

I believe that it's this second definition that is at work in this term. I was utterly convinced that differentiated conveyed that meaning more clearly in English, but I have come around. It is not un enfoque diferenciado, but actually uno diferencial. It may not be a term in as common use in English as in Spanish, but it does exist. Merriam-Webster gives the simple definition of differential as

relating to or based on a difference : treating some people or groups differently from others.

Their full definition is:

1a: of, relating to, or constituting a difference:distinguishingb: making a distinction between individuals or classes c: based on or resulting from a differential d: functioning or proceeding differently or at a different rate

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decolonizing solidarity

My other bloglooks at colonial patterns in international solidarity and ways that we might change them, and talks about my research on international accompaniment and how it uses difference and privilege to make space for peace. The latest entries are listed below.